Using coding to teach mathematics : results of a pilot project

![CDATA[The Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies provides an opportunity for teachers to integrate coding and computational thinking within their STEM teaching practices. However, this opportunity has proven to be a challenge for many teachers, as their self-efficacy with respect to teaching these new skills is often low. This research explores the implementation of a professional development program that focussed on the integration of coding and computational thinking within the teaching of mathematics in primary school classrooms. In particular, we study changes in teacher self-efficacy with regards to coding and computational thinking before and after participating in the program. Using the validated Teachers’ Self-Efficacy in Computational Thinking (TSECT) instrument as well as focus group data, we analyse the experiences of 15 primary school teachers in New South Wales, Australia. We conclude that the program, based on the ScratchMaths resources developed in the UK, was successful in improving teachers’ self-efficacy towards both computational thinking and the integration of mathematics and coding. Our qualitative analysis of the focus group conversations also highlighted teachers’ positive perceptions of student engagement and the need to make the mathematics concepts underpinning the ScratchMaths modules more explicit.]]